Calcining, desulfurizing, and agglomerating ores, &amp;c.



F. MEYER. CALCINING, DESULFURIZING, AND AGGLOMERATING ORES &c.

APPLICATON FILED NOV. 9,190?- RENEWEU SEPT I1. 1913.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

6 SHEET$SHEET I fNVENTOR JUTUHNEYS F. MEYER.

CALCINING, DESULFURIZING, AND AGGLOMERATING ORES, 6w. APPLICATION FILEDNOV. 9, 1907. RENEWED SEPT. 11, 1913.

1,166,142. Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

\ NESS% I INVENTORI F. MEYER.

CALCINING. DESULFURIZING, AND AGGLUMERATING ORES, &c. APPLICATION FILEDNOV. 9, I90]- RENEWED SEPT. 1 I913 1,166,142. Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N S E. S

ATTORNEYS F. MEYER.

CALCINING, DESULFURIZING, AND AGGLOMERATING ORES, 61c. APPLHIATION FILEDNOV. 9, 1901. RENEWED SEPT. n. 1913.

1 1 66,142. Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

6 SHEETS SHEET 4.

Q N E h y}: Y WX} .1 Q we i m I WJTNESSES: I N INVENTOR K/j v 7 ii F; 1%W @(4 ATTORNEYS F. MEYER. CALCINING, DESULFURIZWG, AND AGGLOMERATINGORES, 64c.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, I907. RENEWED SEPT. ll, l9l3. 1,166,142.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

w: ESSES: INVENTUR, K g; 7 1 wigzzfim ATTORNEYS F. MEYER. CALCINING,DESULFURIZING, AND AGGLOMERATING ORES, 61c.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, I907. RENEWED SEPT. 1|, 1913- 0 1 9 l 8 2 D Ml e m P 6 SHfETS-SHEET 6.

N ENTOR ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANZ MEYER, 0F ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 DWIGHT & LLOYDMETALLURGICAL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CALCINING, DESULFURIZING, AND AGGLOMERATING ORES, 8w.

Application filed November 9, 1907, Serial No. 401,476.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANZ MEYER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany,residing at Englewood, county of Bergen, and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in calcining,Desulfurizing, and Agglomerating Ores and like Materials; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the calcining, desulfurizing, agglomerating andvolatilizing of ores and like materials, and more particularly to anapparatus wherein the charge is fed in a uniform layer upon an annulargrate rotatable bodily about an upright axis, the arrangement being suchthat the charge will be spread out upon the upper flat grate surface,and when so spread and ignited is subjected to the action of air orother suitable aeriform fluid drawn or forced through it.

The air, or other aeriform fluid, drawn or forced through the charge, ispreferably controlled in such manner that the desired quantityappropriate to each particular section of the grate may be suppliedthereto. For instance, at the initial section of the grate, where theraw ore is fed and ignited, it will, in general, be desirable to furnishthe minimum quantity of air to the charge; whereas, as the chargeprogresses toward the more advanced sections of the grate, it willusually be convenient to gradually or successively increase the supplyof air. Finally, at the discharge section of the grate, it should againbe wholly or substantially cut off. The control of the air supply ispreferably automatic and may conveniently be effected by dividing up thespace beneath the grate into separate compartments, each having itsindividual communication with the exhauster or compressor, and eachhaving a controlling valve slightly open when the 'section occupies itsinitial position immediately in advance of the ore feed, closed whensaid section occupies its final or discharge position, and at varyingdegrees of closure between the two extremes. This automatic, gradualclosing and subsequent reopening Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

Renewed September 11, 1913. Serial No. 789,380.

of the valves of the individual grate compartments may be accomplishedby means of a stationary cam track operating upon the stems of thespring seated valves, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention the rotary grate is carriedby a central mast, which is itself hollow and which communicates withthe several grate compartments by radial conduits in which thecontrolling valves are located. These radial conduits may themselvescarry the grate and their carrying function may be in part relieved bysupplementary supporting wheels for the grate body.

The individual compartments beneath the grate surface may be formed ifdesired by annular plates dipping into a water seal and cross partitionslikewise dipping into the sealing body of water. Preferably, however,they consist of hopper-like receptacles forming a. tight joint with theseveral sections of the grate and provided with discharge gates at theirlower ends, whereby the material which passes through the grateapertures may be removed and, if insufficiently roasted, may be returnedto the feed hopper.

Other features of construction and arrangement will be hereinafter moreparticularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein Figure 1 represents a general plan view of an apparatusembodying the main features of my invention, said view being partly insection and with certain of the parts shown as broken away, forclearness of illustration of the remainder; Fig. 2 represents a sectionand partial elevation on the line 22 of Fig. 1', Fig. 3 represents afragmentary sectional view through the upper part of the rotatablegrate: Fig. 4 represents a detailed view, showing the manner in whichthe annular cam track operates the air-controlling valves; Figs. 5 and 6represent respectively a plan view and section of a portion of therotarv grate; Fig. 7 represents in elevation and partial section themechanism for rotating the grate; Fig. 8 represents in plan and partialsection, on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2, aportion of the rotary grate and itsfeed hopper; Fig. 9 represents in section a modified form of the rotarygrate and its adjuncts;

Fig. It) represents a section thereof on the line 10-10 of Fig. 9; Figs.11 and 12 represent respectively views corresponding to Figs. 1 and 2,of a modified form of the apparatus; and Fig. 13 represents in crosssection the construction of the grate and ho pers shown in saidmodification.

imilar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring first to the form of apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 8,inclusive, it will be noted that the rotatable grate or carrier consistsconveniently of a series of plate sections (Z provided with suitableslots 0. as shown more fully in Figs. 5 and 6. These, plates or gratesections are supported upon an annular framework which is made up of theconcentric frames A, A, and these frames are connected together andbraced by the radial ribs or partitions b, the frames themselves beingpreferably made up of a number of sections, as shown more fully inFig. 1. The grate, as thus constructed, is carried by a central mast, asshown, but a great part of its weight is likewise sustained by means ofthe trucks B, B, which travel on the annular tracks C, C. The outerperiphery of the frame A is cut or cast to form a gear which meshes witha pinion d (see Fig. 7) which is mounted on a step stud d" journaled ina bracket extending from the standard 6. The pinion cl is driven fromthe pulley f, which drives the worm f intermeshing with the worm gear 9fastened to the upper end of the shaft d".

Immediately beneath the grate is an annular trough D for the receptionof a body of water, and depending from the walls of the annular framesA, A are the annular curtains E, E, which dip well within the watercontained in the trough. The sealed inclosure thus formed beneath thegrate is further divided into individual compartments by the radiallyextending curtains F depending from the ribs 5. From each of theindividual compartments so formed there is an exit passage G from whicha pipe H extends to the hollow interior I of the central mast, whichmast is journaled in a step hearing I at the axial center of theapparatus. The upper portion i of the mast extends within a stationarytube K, and a cup 11' adapted to receive a suitable sealing material,such as water or sand, insures against the exit of gases at the sealedjoint thus provided. The pipe K either communicates with an air bloweror compressor for forcing air upwardly through the charge on the grate,or preferably, with an exhausting device, such as an air exhauster or achimney flue, so as to draw air downward through the charge on thegrate. I prefer the latter arrangement for the reason mainly that itavoids the necessity of providing a hood for conveying away the fumesfrom the burning ore charge, and that it permits the operators to morecarefully supervise the proper working of the apparatus.

In each of the pipes H, between its grate compartment and the hollowmast, is a gate valve h, whose stem is provided with a spring is tendingto hold the valve open. The stem terminates in a roller h traveling uponan annular cam track 7c, the arrangement being such that when the rollerh is at the summit of the maximum rise .of the cam track, the valve willbe closed, or practically closed, thereby cutting off the passage ofaeriform fluid through the pipe H.

Asuitable frame-work is supported above the apparatus by the posts orstandards L. This frame-work supports the hopper M, one of whose wallsis carried down to substantially the upper surface of the grate,whereas, the opposite wall terminates at a distance above the grateequal to the thickness desired for the layer of ore to be suppliedthereto. With the parts arranged as in Figs. 1 and 2, acounter-clockwise rotation is given to the grate so that the ore is fedfrom the hopper in a uniform layer of the desired thickness. It will, ofcourse, be apparent that by providing an additional hopper in the rearof the hopper shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and having its discharge apertureat a suitable elevation with respect to the discharge aperture of thefirst hopper, a second layer of material may be deposited upon the firstlayer. This is of particular service when in drawing an aeriform fluidthrough the grate the layer first supplied to the grate contains littleor no combustible material andwhere it is desired to supply acombustible material from'a separate source. In forcing an aeriformfluid through the grate, the layer first supplied must, of course,contain the combustible material. An instance of this would be furnishedby the treatment of zinc ores for the manufacture of zinc oxid, thepulverized coal, or other combustible, being fed from thefirsthopper,and the zinc ore or a mixture of the ore and of coal being supplied fromthe second hopper, so as to form a layer of ore superimposed upon thelayer of coal. Vhere zinc ore is to be treated, it will, of course, beunderstood that the apertures in the grate plates are to be suitablyrestricted in area as in the grates of the ordinary Wetherill furnacesfor like purposes, and that, if zinc oxid is to be made by forcing airthrough the charge a suitable hood is to be arranged over the grate,which hood is to be connected with a bag-house or similar means tocollect the zinc oxid formed.

In order to prevent the ore or other material from falling ofl the sidesof the grate, especially during the early part of the operation, andwhen the material treated contains insufiicient agglomeratingconstituents,

an extent that there is no longer any tendency for it to fall off fromthe sides of the grate, it being understood that if the ore treated isnot of an agglomerating character, the guards will be continued for theentire extent of the grate periphery. These guards are supported fromthe framework as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. For the purpose ofcalcining, desulfurizing and agglomerating such ores as containsufiicient sulfur, or other combustible material, it is only necessaryto ignite the layer as it is deposited upon the grate from the feedhopper, and to draw or force air through the grate and the layer of orethereon.

In calcining carbonates, or in agglomerating ores, or like material,containing no sulfur, or very little sulfur, (as, for example,

pyrites cinder) the ore is mixed with enough fuel to accomplish thecalcination or agglomeration; and, if need be, a suitable quantity offluxing material is added to the charge before it enters the feedhopper. In roasting agglomerating sulfids, containing enough sulfur tocomplete the roasting reaction after it has been started, no admixtureof fuel is necessary. In either case, however, the charge must beignited, and, when blowing air through the charge, I prefer to ignite itby spreading a thin layer of glowing coal, or of hot calcines from aprevious charge, on the grate and by feeding the new charge upon thishot layer. When air is drawn through the charge, the charge ispreferably ignited by an oil or gas flame from the pipe N, shown inFigs. 2 and 8.

hen the air is drawn through the grate by a fan or chimney draftconnected to the pipe K, the operation is as follows: The charge is fedcontinuously in a uniform layer from the hopper M, upon the grate, whichrevolves in a counter-clockwise direction. hen the charge arrivesbeneath the pipe N it is ignited by the fiame from that pipe. Thecombustion of the fuel or of the sulfur in the charge is maintained bydrawing all through the charge by means of the fan or chimney draft. Thequantity of air drawn through the charge in the various stages of theroasting and agglomerating process is automatically regulated by theaction of the cam track upon the valves in the several radial pipes H.The cam track is so constructed that, at the discharging sectlon of thegrate, it is so high that the valves are substantially closed. From thispoint, the track slopes gradually in oppositedirections, so that at theignition point the valves are partially open and consequently the flameand air are drawn through the charge. In running down the incline thevalves open farther until they have reached their full open position, aswill be readily understood. If it is desired for any purpose to vary.the amount of air drawn through the charge at any particular point inthe treatment, it is only necessary to make cline at that point uponlation of the air current may thus be. made at any desired point. Insome classes of work, however, the regulation of the air may bedispensed with, and in that case, the valves h and the partitions F maybe omitted.

For the purpose of removing the charge from the grate I provide at thedischarge section thereof a plow front, consisting preferably of aseries of teeth .5 which serve to lift, detach and break up the mass ofagglomerated ore, or the like, and, when so broken up, the mass isdiverted or shifted off of the grate by the abutment plate t, which mayconveniently be attached to the rear of the hopper.

In Figs. 9 and 10, I have illustrated a modified form for the chamber orchambers beneath the grate surface. In these figures. instead of thestationary annular trough and the traveling annular curtains with theinterposed water seal, I employ a closed chamber I) of hopperlike form,which is rigidly secured to the rings A, A and which is provided atintervals with suitably weighted doors or gates r, through which thematerial which drops through the grate sections may be removed, and, ifinsuiliciently roasted, calcined or agglomerated, may be returned to thegrate surface through the feed hopper, or otherwise.

Another, and for many uses, a preferable modification of my invention isillustrated in Figs. 11, 12 and l3. In the apparatus shown the track is.Reguin these iigu1es,the rotary grate is supported upon a series ofradial I-beams J. which communicate with the baseof a. hollow rotarymast I and which rest upon the flange of an upright shaft Q. mountedwithin a step-bearing R. below with suitable plates n. n, and carry anannular toothed rack Z which meshes with a pinion .2, adapted to beactuated from the power shaft T by means of intervening gearing, asshown. The upper end of the hollow mast P is journaled in the lower endof the stationary pipe K, the arrangement being such that the rotarygrate, the I-beams and the central hollow mast system.

The hopper hi. the igniting pipe N and the discharging plow t, s, are ofthe same construction and arrangement with respect to the rotary grate,as are the corresponding elements of the modification shown in Figs.

a corresponding 1n- The I-beams are covered above and E.

form a rotating 1 to 8. Furthermore, the valves for controlling theaeriform fluid passing through the conduits formed by the bridging overof the I-beams J by the plates n, n, have a like function and mode ofoperation as that of the corresponding valves 71, of the form ofapparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 8, and are similarly actuated by thecorresponding cam track C; although it will be understood that, asshown, the cam track is supported and located above the spring-seatedvalves which latter open upwardly, in this particular instance, forconvenience of location and arrangement of the parts. So, also, in thismodification of the invention it will be convenient to employ the sameguards m, m, for preventing any portion of the traveling ore body fromleaving the grate along those sections thereof where agglomeratingconditions do not exist, or where the ore, or other material treated, isnot of an agglomerating character.

For convenience of manipulation and construction. I prefer in general tomake the hopper-like receptacles D of the same general character as thehopper receptacles shown in Fig. 9, but I prefer to provide two of thesehoppers for each radial space between adjacent I-beams, as more fullyshown in Figs. 11 and 13.

The general mode of operation of the apparatus shown in Figs. 11, 12 and13 is the same as that employed in the use of the apparatus shown in thepreceding figures, and, for that reason, need not be detailed at length,it being understood that the means for exhausting or for blowing the airor other aeriform fluid through the central mast, the radial airconduits, individual compartments below the grate, and the grate itself,are preferably connected as before to the stationary pipe in which thehollow mast is journaled. So, also, any portions of the material whichpass through the grate and are collected in the hopper-like receptacles,may be removed therefrom through the weighted discharge gates, eitherautomatically or manually, for further treatment, if desired.

It will, of course, be understood that in all of the modifications ofthe apparatus, it will be desirable to impart a comparatively .slowrotation to the moving parts, so that ample time will be afforded forthe complete calcining, desulfurizing or agglomerating of the materialbefore it reaches the discharge section of the grate.

I do not in this application, claim the axially arranged air sealingmechanism illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, nor the annular troughadapted to contain air sealing material into which project guard platescarried by the grate, also illustrated in said Fig. 2, as such featuresare made the subject of and claimed in an application filed 1. Apparatusfor the metallurgical treat ment of ores and the like, consisting of areceiving grate for supporting the charge,

means for revolving the grate bodily about an upright axis, means forfeeding the charge to the grate in a uniform layer, means for causingaeriform fluid to traverse the charge, and means for automaticallyremoving the treated charge from the grate as it passes a predeterminedpoint in the grates revolution, said means consisting of a scraperlocated at said point and having a plow front which detaches the chargefrom the grate and a diverting abutment in the rear of the plow front;substantially as described.

2. Apparatus for the metallurgical treatment of ores and the like,consisting of a receiving grate for supporting the charge, means forrevolving the grate bodily, means for causing aeriform fluid to traversethe charge, and means for regulating the amount of aeriform fluidpassing through individual portions of the charge, said means consistingof a series of conduits communicating with individual sections of thespace below the grate valves located in said conduits and valve-shiftingmeans in constant connection with the said valves, by which theirpositions at any and all parts of the course of travel of the grate maybe accurately controlled; substantially as described.

3. Apparatus for the metallurgical treatment of ores and the like,consisting of a receiving grate for supporting the charge, means forrevolving the grate bodily, means for causing aeriform fluid to traversethe charge, means for regulating the amount of aeriform fluid passingthrough individual portions of the charge, said means consisting of aseries of valve-controlled conduits communicating with individualsections of the space below the grate, and a cam track for automaticallygoverning the opening and closing of the valves; substantially asdescribed.

4. Apparatus for the metallurgical treatment of ores and the like,consisting of an upright hollow mast, an outlying receiving grate forthe charge, aeriform fluid conduits leading from below the grate to thehollow interior of the mast, spring-actuated slidevalves controlling theflow through said conduits, and automatic means for regulating theposition of the valves as the structure revolves; substantially asdescribed.

5. Apparatus for the metallurgical treatment of ores and the like,consisting of a receiving grate for the charge, a supply hopper forfeeding the charge in a substantially uniform layer to the grate, guardrails for the charge, means for revolving the grate bodily, and meansfor causing aeriform fluid to traverse the charge; substantially asdescribed.

6. Apparatus for the metallurgical treatment of ores and the like,consisting of an upright mast, an outlying grate carried thereby, aseries of hoppers located beneath the grate, and means for causingaeriform fluid to traverse the charge; substantially as described.

7. Apparatus for the metallurgical treatment of ores and the likeconsisting of an annular grate surface on which the charge is delivered,a series of hoppers located beneath such grate surface, doors or gatesclosing openings through which the said hoppers may be discharged, andair conduits connected with the hoppers constituting part of a systemfor causing aeriform fluid to pass through the charge supported upon thegrate surface, substantially as described.

8. In an apparatus for agglomerating ores and like materials, thecombination of a grate for supporting the charge, means for deliveringthe charge to the grate in a relatively thin layer, means for causingaeriform fluid to traverse the charge, and means for automaticallyremoving the treated charge after agglomeration consisting of a plowfront and a diverting abutment in rear of the plow front.

9. In an apparatus for the metallurgical treatment of ores and the like,the combination of an annular grate upon which the charge is placed, anair chamber situated within the space surrounded by the said grate, airconduits leading from below successive sections of the grate to the saidchamber, valves for controlling the flow of air through the saidconduits, an annular cam track for regulating the positions of thevalves, means for causing the valves to be operated by successiveportions of the cam as the charge on successive sections of the grate istreated, and air moving means connected with the said air chamber.

10. In apparatus for the roasting and sintering of ores, comprisingindividual sections of a grate pervious to air on which the material tobe trated is supported, and means for causing air to pass through thematerial when upon said pervious support, means for regulating theamount of air passing through individual portions of the material,consisting of separate air chambers individual to the sections of thesupport for the material through which the air that passes through thematerial flows, conduits communicating with the said air chambersrespectively, valves in said conduits, and valveshifting means inconstant contact with the said valves arranged to control the positionsof the valves at any and all times during which the material on thegrate is being treated.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FRANZ MEYER.

Witnesses JOHN C. PENNIE, M. LOBEL.

It ie hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,166,142, grantedDecember 28, 1915, upon the application of Franz Meyer, of Englewood,New Jersey, for an improvement in calcining, Desulfurizing, andAgglomerating Ores, &c., an error appears in the printed specificationrequiring correction as follows: Page 5, line 50,

claim 10, for the Word trated read treated; and that the said LettersPatent should be read with this correction therein that the same mayconform to the record of the case in the Patent Oifice.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of July, A. D., 1916.

F. W. H. CLAY,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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